Restructuring Resources for High-Performing Schools

A Primer for State Policymakers

Karen Hawley Miles and Karen Baroody with Elliot Regenstein, June 7, 2011

Millions of education dollars are trapped each year. At this time of continued budget shortfalls, when every dollar spent on education must yield maximum returns in student outcomes—states’ policies and regulations often inadvertently trap precious resources—making decision-making for districts even more difficult. And while funding adequacy and equity must remain a priority for states, ensuring that limited resources are used as effectively as possible is paramount.

States can use this moment of combined reform and financial pressure to set policies and promote action that will create the right conditions for change at the local level. Education Resource Strategies, with Education Counsel, identifies four areas in which state policymakers can make a big difference: